Black Bar Owners Coalition, TSA Approved Hair Care | Intersections

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:00]Today on Intersections, one ban and you're out.

[00:00:03]>> [music] >> People are afraid that they're not going to be able to go to different bars because of we're starting with banning.

[00:00:08]This scanner is part of that system [music] to track trouble and keep it out. We're talking to the Black Bar Owners Coalition.

[00:00:14]>> [music] >> And do you need a life coach or a therapist? What's the difference?

[00:00:18][music] We're speaking with Naomi from Mental Health Awareness Month.

[00:00:23]Plus, we're getting you ready for summer. The young entrepreneur who created a TSA-approved hair solution.

[00:00:28]And what makes your shower clean, reborn, healthy or unhealthy? So, pull up a chair and meet me at the corner.

[00:00:34]Intersections starts now.

[00:00:37]>> [music] [music] >> In 15 days, if you're banned from one bar, you could be banned from the next.

[00:00:56]The Black Bar Owners Coalition is coming together to spread that message starting on June 1st. I'm joined by some of those members right now. At least nine bars throughout Allegheny County, nine black-owned bars and businesses are part of this coalition. I'm joined by Edgar B.J. Jackson, one of the owners of High Side Lounge. Edgar, thank you so much for being with us.

[00:01:17]>> Of course. And thank you for hosting us in your house. Definitely.

[00:01:20]>> You're one more visit away from no longer being a guest here. We like [clears throat] having you here on Intersections.

[00:01:24]>> I'll take it.

[00:01:25]>> [laughter] >> I'm also joined by Michelle Branch, the owner of the Genuine Pub in Penn Hills.

[00:01:31]We're also joined by Antwan Patton, the owner of Lounge 7101 in Homewood. We want to talk a little bit about the initiative that you guys have come up with. You guys met for the first time this month. Walk us through that. This whole coalition thing started a long time ago. I've been um in business for 14 years. So, I kind of came up around the the old school bar owners. So, we never had a coalition, but we had a community. And I'll tell you what, it was it was beautiful. It really was a beautiful thing. We all, you know, can share similar stories. Um we all Every bar has a different um niche.

[00:02:11]So, you know, but the thing that we have in common is we have the same customers.

[00:02:17]So, not I would say 98 to 99% of our customers just want to come out and have a good time. Yes. So, our job is to keep those people safe. And I can elaborate on that. I think um the whole misconception of this coalition coming together is that people Oh, if you're banned at Hardside, you're automatically banned at the 01 or at the Genuine Pub.

[00:02:42]That's not the case. Um what's going on here is that if you do acts of violence, you know, you can come to Hardside, tell me off if you want to, and walk out the door. You might be banned from from Hardside for disrespect, but I would never call the 01 or Miss Michelle to say, "Hey, somebody cussed me out at my place of business, you know, ban them."

[00:03:05]That's not what we're looking at. We're looking at really trying to keep the 95% of people who wants to come out and have a good time and enjoy the nightlife. We want to keep them safe. Yeah, I agree.

[00:03:16]So, we So, in that being said, that's why this coalition has come together because we really, really want to try to keep those people safe. So, it's a little different for me with the 21 and older.

[00:03:28]And you're 25 and up here, and you're 35. So, we got 21, 25, 35.

[00:03:33]>> [laughter] >> We're covering each shift. So, you can graduate. Yes. Yes. Graduate. And I always tell people I teach the 21-year-olds good bar etiquette, you know, because I nip a lot of stuff in the bud before it gets there. So, when they do come to Hardside, they know that, "Hey, there is rules, you know, there's no hoods on, there's no ski mask, uh nothing like that and we're we just want everyone to be safe. We don't want anything to happen. We just want everyone to be safe. My bar is 35 and older. So, I probably have you know, less incidents from that because I mean nobody wants to fight and then has to go to soccer game the >> [laughter] >> You know? And I want you all to take a look at your screens. This is the scanner that you're going to be be seeing at some of these locations. Also, this will be the logo that will be in front of these businesses so you know which bars are participating as part of this ban list. So, talk to me a little bit about that scanner. I know I spoke with Mike Reed. I spoke to him a few weeks ago about this ban. He's also one of the bar owners that's participating, Eon Bar and Grill. And you all Do you all have your scanners already? Yes.

[00:04:41]Yes, the scanners are very good for business. Um it's just that, you know, we can keep track of who's coming in and, you know, it's very important that, you know, they have a valid ID that come into places of you know, businesses and and and just respect the rules because all of us have house rules, too. So, yes, the scanner is Yeah, when you scan that ID, um the number one thing that pops up is the the person's age, which is great for, you know, making sure you're not having underage um people in your bar. So, that's a great thing in itself. Also, um if you are if you are you do an act of violence, we can actually go into that scanner and say why we are banning you. You put that person on the ban list and say they did, you know, X, Y, and Z. So, when if they go somewhere else, they'll know that that person is barred and they'll know why.

[00:05:32]>> You come here, we can scan you and we can say, "Oh, this person got smart last time about their ID being not valid."

[00:05:39]And you know, you need those things. We need to know who's coming in and out.

[00:05:43]Just in case even if something happens to you once you leave and you go on the road and something happens to you. We want to know, "Okay, when did you leave here? When did you come in?" So, this system it won't just include who's banned and what they're banned for, but let's say if this person is a problem, if they're drinking too much. Most of us already have certain scanners that definitely um do those type of, you know, things that let you know exactly what's going on with this person. It sounds like you all already individually do have people that are banned from your establishments because of things that they've done in the past. So, now you all are just in a sense sharing that data. And and when they go to that place and they get their ID scanned and they said they're banned and this and that, as a coalition, you know, as a family, we should say, "Well, you can't come here as well."

[00:06:29]But, you know, it is up to the discretion of the owner. It is. And so, but the coalition is meant for that. So, if you know this person did an actual act of violence, not got smart with someone, not, you know, did something, you know, a little bit of something or a smoked a cigarette or they weren't supposed to smoke a cigarette inside your establishment, we're not talking about that kind of ban. We're talking about the ban of someone actually assaulting you or assaulting another patron, and then now we have to go full force with that. And what happens if you were banned prior to this ban list?

[00:07:05]>> So, if you were prior banned prior to this ban list, um I don't necessarily know exactly how everyone else is going to handle it. Um I know me and my sister, Samira, um we've talked about these type of things and, you know, certain certain situations, you know, you can grant people back in, but certain situations you just can't. The the number one thing is safety. We want to make sure all our customers are safe in and out of the bar. Will you all be expanding the coalition to add other businesses, maybe some that are not black owned?

[00:07:40]>> Yes, of course. And I think that is very very important for all of us to come together, not just, you know, black people or you know, a certain kind of race. I think it's it's important for everyone to come together. Thank you guys so much. We'll be seeing this on June 1st it goes into effect, but slowly but surely you all are part of this. You all have your scanners, which is crucial to this system in tracking trouble and keeping it out. And the logo that we're showing you on your screen, you're going to be seeing that outside of participating locations.

[00:08:09]>> Traveling could be a hassle, especially without the right products to keep your hair in check. Coming up the local entrepreneur taking over the national [music] stage. You'll meet the owner of Shop Hair Port. We'll be back in studio to that.

[00:08:29]From Pittsburgh to Hollywood, a Pittsburgh native is making her mark on the beauty industry with multi-purpose products that will clear TSA. Shop Hair Port is growing as Jordan Ford introduces her brand to the world on a competition reality show 60-Day Hustle on Amazon Prime. Here's a clip. I'm really going to go meet the owner of That Chick Hair.

[00:08:52]My life can change within the next hour.

[00:08:55][music] I feel like I was made for this though. I got my sister with me. This is my sister's ashes [music] inside. She died when we were younger. So, I wear it every day. If she could be with me any day, the day would be today. This is our amazing merchandising team.

[00:09:15]This is our hero product. It's a styling brush. It works on all hair types, textures, and styles as well. It has a comb at the end and also a brush. So, whenever you squeeze it, the gel comes out of the brush part.

[00:09:26]>> Oh, amazing. Oh, and then this does this close up? Yes, no, it's not spilling out everywhere. Do you have the ability right now to sell this in like a three-pack? Yes. I think off the bat we would love to do a test. Okay. How do you know I'm not going to be a fat fine?

[00:09:43]Like, am I about to be the celebrity of the family or what?

[00:09:47]The celebrity of the family is joining us.

[00:09:50]>> [laughter] >> Thank you so much for being here, Jordan. Congratulations. What was it like being on 60-day hustle?

[00:09:58]Uh it was honestly a life-changing experience. Um it pushed me to limits that I honestly didn't know I had.

[00:10:05]Before I went on the show, I was so focused on like marketing and photo shoots and things like that. And when I went on the show, it was like marketing is just a little segment of your business. It's not the whole thing.

[00:10:18]Like, you have to do cold cold calling where we had to call people on the phone and there were people not answering. And then it just had my anxiety raising up the roof because we had like 2 days to put together a pop-up shop. And I was in LA. I don't I only had like one or two cousins out there, and they're guys. And then I had one of my close friends who's a girl out there. And then that was it was just that. So, I'm trying to put together a pop-up shop in 2 days by myself, um do a sales challenge to make thousands of dollars within hours. It was crazy, but it was definitely a great experience.

[00:10:57]>> Yeah, do you feel like everything you've learned has really helped you push your business forward and your brand?

[00:11:02]Definitely. Um just simply like having uh systems within my business, that's one thing that the show taught me a lot.

[00:11:10]And honestly, your network. Being able to put yourself out there, take risks, being fast-paced when it comes to things, and just making the right decisions not only for yourself, but your business and the longevity of your business.

[00:11:24]>> You've been in the beauty industry for a while, but you recently started this Shop Hair Port. What made you say, "Okay, there's a need in the market for this kind of product. So, I travel a lot whether it's on a plane or whether I'm coming somewhere like here to do an interview and I'm just like I need great quality products that's at arms reach.

[00:11:44]Not um products that I have to have multiple brushes and containers and things like that. I need products that are compact, convenient, and great quality. So, I came up with Shop Hairport and when I travel in the airport I am very observant and I noticed a lot of people were having to throw away their products at TSA. Just having like big bottles and not understanding the sizing of you know how much you can take on the airplane. And I was like, you know what? I'm not the only one who's having this problem. So, I came up with Shop Hairport. Hairport, you know, rhymes with airport and it just all made sense to do travel-size and convenient hair products for people.

[00:12:26]So, that's where I came up with the idea. Yeah, definitely a play on words and a play on words and we've definitely seen you expand, right?

[00:12:34]>> Yes. Being able to put your products now on the world stage, has that helped with sales? Yes, it has. It has a lot. So, um like you said before with the the show and how it's help helped me a lot. Um before I was focused on like uh B2C sales like me selling to you.

[00:12:55]Now, I'm more so focused on like me selling to bigger uh beauty supply stores and retail and things like that.

[00:13:03]So, I've been getting a lot of like beauty supply stores reaching out to me in Pittsburgh, outside of Pittsburgh.

[00:13:08]Just doing like more bulk orders so that people can get more for their money and more so changing my website to a subscription base so that way you're getting products sent to you every um month without even having to go on there and order. It's just a subscription base. So, it's helped a lot. I know you didn't win on 60 Day Hustle. You can stream it on Amazon Prime, but you did learn so much from it and I think that is great. So, before we end this, I want you to take a look at this photo of yourself. We're going to put it up right here. This is you when you first started. How old were you then? I was 18 when I started my first business. It was called Bling and Luxury. I was selling hair, wigs, flat irons, and like these like bedazzled shoes. And I took my birthday money and my Christmas money and I took that and got a LLC and things like that. So, yes, I was 18 and this was in my college dorm up at Pitt-Johnstown.

[00:14:03]Yes. So, I've come a long ways from then. Yes, you have. And if you could say anything to your younger self, if you can say anything to 18-year-old you when you first started, what would you say?

[00:14:14]Don't get distracted. Uh stick to the plan. I know you're very ambitious and you want things to happen fast, but great things don't happen overnight. So, it's okay to go slow. Sometimes the turtle wins the race. You don't have to always be the first one doing something or rush into opportunity. Make sure everything aligns and it makes sense.

[00:14:36]Great. Encouraging advice from Jordan Ford. Thank you so much for your time.

[00:14:40]You can shop Hair Port at these locations. You can see it here. You can also shop it online. Up next, healthy choices don't have to be boring. Pair Charcuterie is here to talk about balanced eating, [music] fresh ingredients, and building community through food.

[00:14:59]>> [music] >> Eating healthy doesn't mean sacrificing flavor or creativity. Our next guest is showing people how fresh ingredients, intentional choices, and beautifully created boards can turn snacking into a healthier experience. Joining us now is the founder and owner of Pair Charcuterie, Shaquela Swinton, a Pittsburgh-based business focused on food, community, and connection. Thank you so much for joining us.

[00:15:22]>> Thanks for having me. So many amazing products here. Talk to us first about how you got started 2 years ago. Um so our mission really is to bring people together through food. Pair kind of started at the height of COVID when we were all sort of isolated and alone. So I kind of started making charcuterie boards and delivering them to my family and friends and next thing you know, it kind of turned into like a full-service business. So we're downtown Pittsburgh and you know, we we want to offer some a variety of options for our downtown Pittsburgh patrons. Oftentimes you see like pizza, you know, fast food options and so we want a healthier choice. Any given time you can walk into Pair and get fresh fruit, fresh salads. So we make most of our mostly everything in-house. So to our left is are some examples of the things that you can actually walk in and see and purchase in store. So this is an example of our build-your-own charcuterie box. So you can come in, you can select the cheeses that you want to eat, the meats that you want to eat.

[00:16:16]Maybe you don't want meat at all, you just want cheese, fruit. We'll build that for you right right in our shop.

[00:16:21]Yeah, and what are some tips of advice you can give to people who are trying to keep their boards healthy? We know it's summer. We all love a good board and sometimes a lot of the meats can get pretty salty. Um so you know, yeah, definitely for sure. And like you know, we of course talk a little bit about portion control.

[00:16:38]So typically for charcuterie you're consuming about 1 oz of meat, 1 to 2 oz of cheese per board. So it's like a nice snacking item that gives that fills you up but doesn't allow you to overindulge.

[00:16:50]Um but then in store we also offer a variety of different alternatives to port, you know, your traditional. We offer turkey, beef options, bresaola. If you're not, you know, if you want to, you know, cut to a healthier option.

[00:17:01]Even on the cheese side. So we partner with a company Graze & Co. It's a local woman-owned business. She offers purely organic cheeses and so that's what you see featured here. You can either add it to one of your boards or you can actually come in and purchase for in store. And these drinks are also made in-house.

[00:17:15]>> Yeah, we so not only our drinks but our syrups. And so we're starting to get super super popular with our syrups downtown. You know, so you know, we have our here featured is our mixed berry matcha and that has oat milk if you're looking for an alternative to whole fat milk.

[00:17:30]To our all the way to the right is our sweet potato latte which actually is a syrup that we make in house super gaining a lot of traction with the downtown Pittsburgh does that take? Yes, I've seen that on TikTok. [laughter] So it can take some time. We we roast our potatoes in house and then we make and we you know, turn those into a syrup and then you can purchase those. So here is an example of our raspberry hibiscus syrup which is also, you know, something that people love in lemonades and you can actually purchase that in store as well. You're a black owned woman led business also supporting other black women in this city and other businesses. Talk to us about that.

[00:18:04]>> want to create opportunities for individuals who don't have access to, you know, sort of that downtown Pittsburgh location. So we have an example of Wine & Waffles she you know, is a it's a black woman owned partly led business it's a a husband and wife and so yeah, they they offer curated wine experiences and they also sell merchandise for their brand and it aligns with our brand as well. So we actually you can stop in at any time purchase a Wine & Waffles bag.

[00:18:29]She sells as well and offers charcuterie boards, coasters. So we want to support her business. We partner with other businesses in the past. We've sold you know, candles as well as other bakeries and black owned women bakeries.

[00:18:42]So right now we have a current partnership with Best Bets Bakery. You can stop in at any time and purchase one of her pastries, cheesecakes.

[00:18:48]So yeah, we we we definitely want to be a platform for other other other smaller businesses. Yes, and we see you expanding online. We see what's happening on social media. How do you feel when you see all of the support?

[00:18:59]Honestly it's it's a little surreal.

[00:19:01]Like I you know, I'm a Pittsburgh native.

[00:19:03]Our business is on Smithfield Street.

[00:19:04]One of my first jobs was McDonald's on Smithfield Street. So >> full circle moment.

[00:19:08]>> Yeah, yeah, so it really is and you You just being able to offer um, you know, really a platform for other businesses.

[00:19:14]Um, we partner with, you know, other locally owned um, individuals who as well who want to get their word out, want to get their message out, want to connect with people, and that's that's our our mission. Our mission is to bring people together with food. So, um, we offer a variety of different events in our shop. We do workshops, certain build your own charcuterie workshops. Um, but we're expanding that a bit, and so that's where we um, you know, we've built our second space, which um, is Pear Studio. Um, and the purpose of Pear Studio >> Pitt building for anyone who wants to That's at the Pitt building.

[00:19:40]>> it's a few doors down from our coffee shop, and um, we're really for that space we want to partner with a partner with other food creatives. So, we want to give them a space to showcase their food um, creativity. So, in there if you're a food creative and you're looking to host workshops, you can actually reach out to us to potentially use our space and and offer those workshops to to your market right downtown to downtown Pittsburgh.

[00:20:00]>> Yeah, and one more question. Where do you see your business in 5 years? Um, so I mean, really uh, you know, I see us being sort of a, you know, a cultural activation and hub, right? I you know, not necessarily just a food-based business, but full-service hospitality.

[00:20:14]Um, really also creating platforms for other small small businesses. So, we really want to expand just beyond, you know, offering food food products. Um, we want to, you know, create spaces and curate spaces for other individuals to to really shine. You're already ahead of the game doing just that.

[00:20:28]>> Thank you. Thank you. Still ahead, May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

[00:20:32]Experts break down myths and facts.

[00:20:34]Also, [music] our neighborhood highlights, Mo Town is in town.

[00:20:46]May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

[00:20:48]Each year millions of people are affected by mental illness, prompting more conversation about the need for treatment.

[00:20:55]One in five adults are diagnosed with a mental health condition, and we can probably say it's probably higher than that. Why do people hesitate to seek therapy?

[00:21:06]Um, it may be a stigma to where thinking therapy is you like laying on someone's couch and someone's going to fix you. Sometimes it's like access. You know, people don't have transportation and then there's other times where uh there are um long waiting lists.

[00:21:23]>> I think overall mental health carries a stigma um because mental health is an illness that people can't see. Every part of us matters and so when we don't make our mental health something different than our physical health then we can realize that we need those supportive services. How does social media help or hurt the mental health system? There is a lot of conversation now about mental health.

[00:21:45]>> Especially with the upcoming generation, they are a lot more open with talking about their mental health, talking about their feelings um cuz it's hard to talk about feelings in the first place.

[00:21:54]>> The flip side of that is that now that so many people have opportunity to talk about mental health, some things are not so clinically proven.

[00:22:02]>> So many people are able to cosplay as something they are not. How can you tell someone is actually a therapist? I think credentialing. So asking them for their credentials, uh doing some research cuz you can look online uh whether it's Psychology Today uh to see if they're credentialed as a therapist. Person who operates under a therapist or therapist license, they're able to diagnose. Uh they're also able to refer you to um how to get medicine or How can you differentiate life coach or therapist? How do you know which one you need? I think if it's affecting your life to the point where it's not the same as your day-to-day, I think therapy is the route to go. However, life coaching is someone to help you through certain situations.

[00:22:47]For immediate health support, dial or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It's free, confidential, and available 24/7.

[00:22:58]To your neighborhood highlights now, shining a spotlight on great things happening in our region.

[00:23:06]Sounds of Motown took over the O'Reilly Theater in downtown Pittsburgh this month. New Horizon Theater presented a smash hit live show Motown Extreme.

[00:23:16]>> [music] >> The musical featured hits from the Jackson 5, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, and so much more.

[00:23:24]>> [music] >> It was a trip down memory lane and everyone was on their feet.

[00:23:30]Thank you for watching Intersections.

[00:23:32]We'll see you next time.

[00:23:38]>> [music]